Organizing and productivity

May 13

womens closet, closet organization, image, closet organizing, hangers

Organizing Closets 101

By Sherry Borsheim Blog, Closet Organizing, Free Articles, Home Organizing No Comments

Organizing closets can seem like a never ending battle. You rearrange, jam things in, debate hanging space vs folded, or maybe you simply close the closet door (if you can) and call it a day. I’m going to help you walk through the basic steps of organizing closets so you can win this battle for good!

Too Much Stuff

Here is the real start of the problem-you have too much stuff. If this is not the case for you, you are the minority. Our environment is very consumer driven-buy buy buy! The difficulty with this is the problem of owning too much tends to snowball as your closets become more and more unorganized. The more you are storing and the more unorganized it is the more unlikely you will be able to find what you are looking for. This means even though you think you don’t own a pair of black pants, the truth is you may have two pairs lurking in your closet-you just can’t find them. So what do you do? You buy another pair.

Still convinced you don’t own too much? Did you know that we wear 20 percent of our clothing 80 percent of them time? Take a quick survey of your closet, does this ring true?

Organizing Closets-Clear it Out

Start organizing closets by emptying them out. Like many organizing projects the mess WILL get bigger before it gets smaller. Don’t panic- if you find organizing paralysis setting in check out my advice here.

Ask yourself these questions as you go through each article of clothing. “Do you love it?” “Do you wear it?” “Does it fit?”

Do yourself a favor get rid of clothing that doesn’t fit! Many of us hold onto clothing hoping to “one day” wear it again. It is an ugly reminder every time you open the closet, a real downer! Let’s face it when you do become that size again- you deserve new things. Don’t hold onto a wardrobe that doesn’t fit. On the flipside- don’t hold onto things that are too big! You have left that behind you no need for these just in case reminders.

You will create “keep it”, “donate it”, and “try it on” piles. This is also a good time to pull out clothes that need repair. Buttons sewn back on, zippers replaced, pants hemmed. Hanging clothes in your closet you can’t wear is a waste of space!

Hangers

Clothes hangers are an underestimated tool for organizing closets! Once you have decided what you will be keeping go through and count how many hangers you will need for pants, shirts, jackets, ect. Invest in great hangers and keep them all uniform.

The benefit? Great hangers will stop you from having to constantly pick up clothes from the bottom of your closet. Also if you keep your hangers uniform they will nest together nicely and you will have more space!

Start with these simple steps when organizing your closet and you will be on your way to a great relaxing space. And next time you are out shopping ask yourself when you’re holding an item, “Do I love this?” and “Do I already own this?”.

Good luck organizing closets in your home!

Want more help clearing out your clutter? Join us for our virtual Clear Out Your Clutter Day. Woman from around the globe are all going to be clearing their clutter on May 19^th. Get organizing tips here.

May 11

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My Project Planning Tools to Stop Organizing Paralysis

By Sherry Borsheim Blog, Business Organizing, Expert Articles, Free Articles, Home Office Organization, Home Organizing, Inspiration No Comments

At some point, you may have started organizing your office or a room in your home then you freeze up and walk away because it was just too overwhelming, you feel exhausted by the process, don’t feel like the project planning tools you need, or you weren’t sure where you were going to put all the stuff. This is what I call organizing paralysis.

Take a step back from your organizing project and realize that, just like gaining weight, it didn’t happen overnight. It was a slow progression over time of accumulating papers, books, magazines, business cards, receipts, supplies, gadgets, clothes, kitchen appliances and so on. Therefore, getting organized will take time to sort through all your piles and you’ll be making a lot of decisions on what to keep, what to donate and what to let go of.

Here are three project planning tools and strategies you can use right away to break free from organizing paralysis and get the ball rolling:

Know what you want and why-

People who want to be organized realize that the current situation is not working for them and they want to make a change for the better. They desire a different experience. Getting clear on your purpose and ultimate outcome for being organized is the first step. Ask yourself, “What do I want this room to look like?”, “How do I want to feel when I walk into this room?” What activities or functions do I want in the room?” and the really big question to get clear on is, “What’s not working?” Questions are a great project planning tools Answer these questions and you will be clear on why you want to get organized in the first place and secondly, this will be your motivation as you sort through your things.

Here’s a few of examples of what to get your creative juices flowing:

“I want to walk into my office in the morning to see a clean desk and have a plan of action for the day. Everything has a home and I have space to be creative.”

“I want to have client meetings in my studio, they will see that I’m am organized and able to take on bigger client projects.”

“I want easy to maintain systems in my home and office. Family members know where to put things away and I’m not embarrassed to have people over.”

Schedule it!

If you say you’ll get to it later or someday, the piles will continue to grow because later never comes. Decide to take action now and make a commitment to get your organizing projects complete. I’ll often say to my clients, “An item on a to do list is not a commitment at a specific time. When you scheduled an appointment in your calendar, it’s a commitment to get that task done.” That’s one of the reason clients like working with a Professional Organizer because they have a scheduled time on their calendar for the session. I know it sounds simple, but most people don’t schedule time to get organized.

To move your organizing projects along at a steady pace, schedule 1 to 3 hour sessions at a time. Set a timer, play motivating music and have a glass of water or tea on hand. There’s something about knowing the timer is ticking and the countdown has begun. It’s a great motivator and will help you to stay focused. Don’t underestimate your scheduling calendar, it is a powerful project planning tool.

Set Yourself Up For Success-

Having the right project planning tools and setting up a staging area is key to your success. If you were inviting friends over for dinner you would plan what you were going to serve, buy the groceries and then prepare the meal. The same applies to your organizing project. Designate a staging area for items to donate, recycle, shred, garbage and for other rooms. Gather some boxes or bins for sorting and grouping like things together, use garbage bags for items you are donating and for items you may want to sell.

During the organizing process, you may find that it gets worse before it gets better. But don’t be discouraged, stay focused and pretend you have a scheduled appointment with me, your Organizer. During each of your organizing sessions state what you want to accomplish by the end of the session upfront. Then work towards that goal. That’s what I’d be doing if I was with you.

What are your most powerful project planning tools?

May 06

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Counter Intuitive Approach to Productivity- The Power Nap

By Sherry Borsheim Blog, Expert Articles, Free Articles, Resources No Comments

Napping helps beat fatigue and a quick power nap can have many benefits when it comes to your performance and level of productivity. Studies show that a short power nap can have both physiologically and psychologically benefits and help refresh the mind, increase productivity and improve overall alertness.

Stressing Life

When was the last time you scheduled time for yourself to rest? A 20 minute nap is a great way to relax and let go of accumulated stress in your body. When your body is in constant battle fighting against itself due to high levels of stress, your productivity and effectiveness decreases and your ability to focus on the important tasks may also be affected. Dr. Sara Mednick, a researcher at Salk Institute for Biological Studies, says the benefit of a nap improves your health, helps with hormonal maintenance and cell repair.

Because you are tired, you probably fill your time with busy work and non-productive tasks instead of getting the right things done. A simple power nap can change your focus and you will be able to devote more energy to the high-payoff tasks.

Your Body Needs a Power Nap

Typically, your body will let you know when it needs a rest. If you think you don’t have time to rest, think again. Step back from a state of stress and get into a mode of relaxation. Instead of ignoring the signs like yawning or a slowdown of your mental activity, take time to relax, go for a short walk or take a 20 minute power nap during your lunch break. By doing so, you’ll be energized and it will bring you balance and calm for the rest of the day. In this state your mind you’ll promote performance and alertness during the rest of your day.

Improved Memory Function

In a study done by NASA on napping and sleeping, they found that a nap improves memory function and alertness. Giving your brain a mid-day break helps sort through all the bits and pieces of information you’ve accumulated during the first part of your day. After the nap your mind is in a more efficient and productive state. It’s like clearing out the clutter in your mind and being more efficient.

“If a cluttered desk is a sign of a cluttered mind, of what, then, is an empty desk a sign?”

― Albert Einstein

Athlete’s Power Nap

Giving the body a chance to restore itself and build energy between training or before a competition is used by many athletes. Lance Armstrong included naps as part of his overall training routine that helped him win 7 Tour de France bicycle races.

When and How?

Restorative naps, or siesta as they call it in other parts of the world, are most beneficial right after lunch, according to most scientific research. This is a point in your body’s natural sleep rhythm, called your circadian cycle, when your body has a natural tendency to fall asleep. If you sleep too long or nap too late in the day, you’ll affect your sleep time at night. Set an alarm clock, play relaxing music or use nap sounds for a 20 minute power nap. Some may need to add a few minutes before to let the body relax and 5-10 minutes after to transition back into your workday.

There are many apps available for Smartphones and iPad to help you power nap and catch some Z’s. Using soundscapes to mask distracting noises and is a natural sleep aid. My personal favorite is the “Pebble Beach” soundscape from “Power Nap – Soundscapes.” You can download the Power Nap app here:

http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/power-nap-soundscapes/id380494523?mt=8

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